Former Residence of Hu Xueyan, Chinese merchant mansion in Shangcheng District, China.
The Former Residence of Hu Xueyan is a Qing-era mansion at No. 18 Yuanbao Street in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, covering 10.8 mu (about 0.72 hectares). Its Jiangnan-style garden includes rockwork designed by Yin Zhi and built by craftsmen such as Wei Shifu. The restored rooms display period furniture reinstated by Xu Jianping.
Hu Xueyan began building the mansion in 1872, during the Tongzhi Emperor's reign, and a team of more than 500 labourers finished it in 1875. The 10.8-mu estate cost an estimated 100,000 taels of silver. After Hu's bankruptcy in 1884 it passed to the Manchu official Wen Yu, then to the banker and bibliophile Jiang Yizhi and his heirs.
The residence displays how wealthy merchants lived in the 1800s, with furniture and artworks from Ming and Qing periods throughout its rooms. Visitors can observe how such families arranged their spaces and what objects mattered most to them.
The residence is open daily and easy to locate; arriving early helps you avoid crowds. Wear comfortable shoes since you will walk through several courtyards and long corridors to see all the rooms.
The rockwork of the Jiangnan garden was designed by Yin Zhi and built by craftsmen including Wei Shifu. Construction began in 1872 under the Tongzhi Emperor and took more than 500 labourers three years to finish, at an estimated cost of 100,000 taels of silver.
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